Background: Zoonotic diseases pose a direct threat to health and undercut livelihoods in the communities in which they occur. A combination of anthropogenic, animal and ecosystem activities drives the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases. Consequently, One health approaches are necessary to alleviate disease impacts. Livestock traders interact closely with livestock, which puts them at high risk of infection and creates conditions by which they may spread zoonotic. It is thus essential to examine practices among actors involved in the livestock trade to understand how well to mitigate these risks. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among the actors in the livestock trade in Busia County on their knowledge, attitudes and practices that may contribute to the spread, control and prevention of zoonotic disease transmission. A thematic analysis framework was used to categorize and synthesize data from in-depth interviews (IDIs) and the key informant interviews ( KIIs). Results: Whereas participants could list livestock diseases, they could not identify them as zoonotic demonstrating insufficient knowledge of zoonosis. They identify sick animals by checking for dropped ears, mass mucus production; diarrhea; bloody urinal discharge; and general animal activity levels. To prevent the spread of these diseases, they wash their animals, isolate sick animals from the rest of the stock; vaccinate their animals. They seek help from animal health professionals for the sick animals as curative practices. The practices of skinning dead animals before burying them and the consumption of dead carcasses increase the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. Conclusions: Livestock actors are critical in the prevention and elimination of zoonotic diseases, hence they need to be involved when developing intervention programs and policies for the animal health extension services. Training them as a continuum of animal health workers blends lay and professional knowledge, which alongside their intense contact with large numbers of animals becomes a critical disease surveillance tool. Increasing awareness on zoonoses by using multi-disciplinary teams with social scientists so that the risky but deeply rooted traditional practices can be minimized is needed urgently.

Background Zoonotic diseases pose a direct threat to health and livelihoods in the communities in which they occur. A combination of anthropogenic, animal, and ecosystem activities drives the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases.  One Health approaches are necessary to alleviate disease impacts. To be effective, understanding people's Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices concerning these disease threats are essential for their prevention, control, and eventual elimination. Livestock traders interact closely with livestock, which puts them at high risk of infection and creates conditions by which they may spread zoonotic pathogens. . It is, thus, essential to examine practices among actors involved in livestock trade to understand how well to mitigate these risks in a non-pastoral production system. Methods Busia County was selected for this study because it is a predominantly crop-producing area, with cross-border (between Kenya and Uganda) trade in livestock. A qualitative study was conducted among the actors in the livestock trade on their knowledge, attitudes, and practices that may contribute to the spread, control, and prevention of zoonotic disease transmission. A thematic analysis framework was used to categorize and synthesize data from In-depth interviews (IDIs) and the Key informant interviews(KIIs). Results Whereas participants could list the signs of zoonotic diseases, they could not identify these diseases by name, which, demonstrates insufficient knowledge of zoonosis. Brucellosis, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), and Anthrax were broadly mentioned as diseases of importance by many actors this shows that they are the common livestock diseases in the area. The actors identified sick animals by checking for dropped ears, mass mucus production; diarrhea; bloody urinal discharge; and general animal activity levels, an animal that is not actively eating or walking will be a sign of sickness. To manage the spread of these diseases, they wash their animals, isolate sick animals from the rest of the stock; vaccinate their animals against certain diseases as preventive practices, they also seek help from animal health professionals for the sick animals as curative practices. The practices of skinning dead animals before burying them and the consumption of dead carcasses risk the increase of zoonotic disease transmission. These practices are drawn from cultural values and beliefs about the curses and potential loss of entire stock if livestock is unceremoniously disposed of upon death, irrespective of the cause. Conclusions and recommendations Livestock actors have agency in the prevention and elimination of zoonotic diseases, hence, they need to be involved when developing intervention programs and policies for the extension services. Training these actors as a continuum of animal health workers blends lay and professional knowledge, which alongside their intense contact with large numbers of animals, becomes a critical disease surveillance tool this may also play a role in supporting state actors in disease surveillance and response. There is an urgent need to increase awareness of zoonoses within livestock keepers and traders, these campaigns, need should deploy multi-disciplinary teams with an understanding of human health, animal health, and social scientists so that the risky but deeply rooted traditional practices can be minimized.

Climate change means that many more people find themselves living in areas of environmental disadvantage, with water insecurity recognized as a major health issue. Local ecologies shape everyday hygiene practices in households as people respond to diurnal and seasonal changes in their external environment. Periods of water shortage paradoxically increase the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera, exacerbated by reduced washing to conserve limited supplies. Unpredictable periods of drought and/or flooding compromise household income, and families cannot afford the basic resources they need to keep themselves and others clean. The risks of water borne diseases, such as typhoid, giardia and cholera, are reduced by strategies that improve the sourcing, storage, and treatment of drinking water in areas of environmental disadvantage. In this chapter we first outline global water insecurity in the context of climate change and the negative effects on people’s physical and mental health. We develop our ideas by drawing on our fieldwork, specifically depth interviews with over 50 people living in Kware, Ongata Rongai outside Nairobi, Kenya, to consider how people negotiate persistent water insecurity in resource-limited settings. We conclude the chapter with reflections on the barriers and opportunities to improve water security and hygiene practices.

Introduction Livestock diseases are a big challenge for the livelihood of pastoralists in sub-Saharan Africa because they reduce livestock productivity and increase mortality. Based on the literature available there is limited understanding on how pastoralists prioritize these diseases in the context of their culture, ecosystems and livelihoods. A study was conducted to provide insights on lay prioritization of animal diseases by pastoralists in Kenya. Methodology A qualitative study was undertaken between March and July 2021. Thirty in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with community members to explore community attitudes on livestock diseases prioritization. Male and female livestock keepers were purposively selected and interviewed and they were all long-term residents of the area. Fourteen key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with professionals from different key sectors to provide detailed stakeholder perspectives on livestock diseases. The interviews were analyzed thematically using the QSR Nvivo software to identify the emerging themes related to the study objectives. Results The pastoralists prioritized livestock diseases based on effect on their economic wellbeing, cultural values and utilization of ecosystem services. There were gender variabilities in how diseases were prioritized among the pastoralists. Men cited high priority diseases as foot and mouth disease and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia due to their regular occurrence and effect on livelihood. Notably, women regarded coenuruses as very important because it affected sheep and goats with a high mortality rate and lumpy skin disease because it rendered the meat from the carcasses inedible. Malignant catarrhal fever and trypanosomiasis were noted as some of the common diseases in the livestock-wildlife interface but not cited as priority diseases. Challenges related to disease control in pastoralist contexts exist including limited access to livestock treatment services, inadequate information on disease impact and complex environmental factors. Conclusion This study sheds light on the body of knowledge in Kenya regarding livestock diseases and their prioritization by livestock keepers. This could aid in the development of a common disease control framework and prioritization at the local level which would take into consideration the dynamic socio-cultural, ecological, livelihood and economic contexts of the communities.